B4 - Paulina Gawor - Project Description

Project Description

My term project will focus on how BIM and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) can be used to develop more sustainable projects. Construction generates the largest amount of waste, and represents the heaviest use of resources and energy compared to other industries. Using BIM and LCA, the communication, scheduling, and budgeting practices of a project can be greatly improved. A soft value like environmental impact can be more easily represented numerically through LCA, and shown to project stakeholders. The lifetime impact of a project can be assessed, from construction and operations to retrofit and eventual demolition.

One of the topics I hope to investigate is the interoperability of how LCA programs are used, and if they are adequately supported by Revit. So far it seems there is a great deal of transferring information between platforms. One workflow showed a transfer from Revit to IFC to Excel to Ecotect. Autodesk’s Green Building studio has been using a data transfer protocol called gbXML.

I am excited to learn more about implementing the use of a new type of software and workflow process in an office setting, as well as the specifics of model sharing in Revit. I believe just as many architectural and engineering firms have been transitioning to BIM design in the last five years, there will be greater demand for information about the energy use and value of building projects. I have not had the chance to work with this apart from basic use of classroom E-Quest projects, so it will be interesting to see what software and solutions in this field are currently in use. Performing the Revit families exercise in AE 510 has also helped me familiarize myself with family types and properties that are a major part of performing a building’s LCA.

References

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705814018918

http://itc.scix.net/data/works/att/w78-2012-Paper-24.pdf

http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:566319/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Comments

Abdullatif Alkandari

Abdullatif, I would be curious to find out more about how you find robotics integrated into building construction and even operations. I can imagine a great deal of uses in prefabrication of larger scale elements for construction. You mention that finding investors for this type of research will be challenging. In this very old profession, I think the greatest barrier to implementation will be the human element--the existing construction and machining workforce and their unions.

Hayley Selden

Hayley, I also find the greater integration of sensors into building systems to be very interesting. Some friends I know use Nest and Phillips remote bulbs to monitor and adjust their home energy use. The concept of regular measurement, and even gamification of energy savings has great potential for raising public awareness of their personal carbon footprints and energy use. This is a great project and will focus on the intersection of intelligent and green design.

Yipin Geng

Yipin, I am also interested to see what type of uses you will be able to develop with Revit Macros. In the past I have run some very simple LISP scripts in AutoCAD that would sum total line lengths for me. I would be interested in developing a macro for an automated sprinkler head design layout. If your programming skill is not so high, it might be worth looking into Dynamo to develop your programs.

Abdullatif Alkandari - B4 - Week4

Project description

For my term project, I will be looking into the world of robotics in more detail. By knowing how far Artificial intelligence has come and given the many fields in which robotics managed to revolutionize the industry. I will try to find the underlying reasons causing this technology to be behind in some fields that we wish robotics were more involved with. Thus, identifying the factors that cause AI to be so far ahead of its time in some fields as opposed to others.

why it was chosen

The reason why I am intrigued in this topic is that I believe that once we have a better understanding of what is impeding the progress of A.I. and robotics; we can find the right approach to deal with the issue. I expect this research to improve my problem-solving skills which I believe to be a crucial skill for any engineer to have. This mentality will help me reverse engineer the problems associated with robotics involvement in the construction industry in an effort to arrive at the aspects that need to be considered before any breakthroughs can be achieved.

Relation to Intelligent Buildings

In writing this paper, I will be addressing how these breakthroughs in A.I. as well as robotics can aid in intelligent buildings. This is due to the fact that I expect for my research findings to pinpoint the areas where these technologies can make the most impact in adding to the current construction industry. Even after these areas are defined, I will research how they can be enhanced to further maximize the efficiency of A.I. and robotics in construction sites as well as their roles in manufacturing building materials. As I proceed with this paper, I will be more specific in which fields of the industry will be the focus of my research and that decision will be based on the aspect that will result in the most positive influence to the construction industry.

Challenges

I expect many challenges to arise in proceeding with this research, especially given how behind A.I. and robotics are in the construction industry relative to the car manufacture and nanotechnology industry for example. This is why I expect that in order for noticeable changes to occur in this field, serious time, effort and capital would need to be invested for this cause. And the investors interested in funding such research will only be onboard if they can guarantee their money back through this investment which is a major financial challenge.

Comments:

Ng Andrew: I expect incorporating Virtual reality to be a major breakthrough for AI in the construction industry. It will not only make inspecting buildings more convenient and enjoyable, but also reduce the chance of error in the construction progress as one can physically see where the parts need to go. I am truly excited for your team’s project and I expect it to be a fun and educational experience for everyone involved.

Mridul Pareek: I found your topic really interesting, and I do agree that Wireless sensor technology is under-utilized once we take in to account its true potential. I expect the implementation of this technology to be a huge leap forward in intelligent buildings as it will facilitate building monitoring and maintenance and save a lot of time and effort. I’m truly glad to know that a team is covering this topic.

Andy Dinh: I think that comparing the two leading programs in digital design (Revit vs Bentley Architecture) to be educational. In designing the same building in both programs it will became clearer to you which tasks are wiser to be attempted in one program instead of the other. I hope that towards the end of your project, you will have a clear understanding of (Revit and Bentley Architecture) and the advantages that each of them has over the other. Also, it is a big plus to have both of them on your resumes!

B4 Post- zhijing zheng

Robotics Automating Construction Site Surveying

Why choose this topic?

In current construction field, the survey is mandatory required for pre-construction. And almost all the survey information is done by the surveyor via investigate the real construction site physically. In other word, the surveyors have to overcome the weather condition whether it is too hot or too cold. It will increase the health risk for surveyors. Therefore, if we can implement the robotic technique into construction surveying purpose, it will be huge benefit for surveyors. The surveyors can just stay in the office or some safer places to control the robots to gather the survey information for the underground soil condition and the dimension of the entire site. Or, surveyor can just set up the control points inside the site, and apply robotic automating technique to gather the needed information. Also, the robotic survey will produce more accurate and concise outcome comparing to human operation basically. In conclusion, the reasons choose this topic is because my work experience and field interesting. Also,  I want to investigate whether the implement of this technique is worth compare to profit wise from the construction side.

How this topic related to IB?

This topic is somehow closely related to IB because the construction site surveying not just apply to underground soil investigation, also it is apply to building industry. For example, if the surveyor need to measure the inside and outside dimension of the high-rise building, they can pretty much use remote to control the small robots with sensors and climb 20 or 30 feet instead of using ladder to climb. After the surveyor set up all the sensor, surveyor just set up the reference points to get the dimension use total station tool or other information collector. The definition of intelligent building is  “one which has an information communication network through which two or more of its services systems are automatically controlled, guided by predictions based upon a knowledge of the building and usage, maintained in an integrated data base” (Leifer, 1988). Therefore, since the robotic automating surveying technique is automating system that involves robotic controlling, it should improve the accuracy and efficiency of the surveying quality.

What are the challenges?

In order to implement this technique into the surveying purpose, we need to couple the sensor with lasers to the receiver. It might require the new codes that specify the outcome of the information. Also, it might be challenge that converts the 3D configuration into the 2D plan. We need some new operation system to manipulate the inside code information into more readable visualization output. Therefore, for this new robotic automating surveying technique, it is not just inventing the robotic tool, but also create the corresponding operating system. 

Sources:

Leifer, D. 1988. “Intelligent Buildings: A Definition.” Architecture Australia 77: 200–202.

Comments:

Joe Dressel:

In Joe’s post, he pretty much answers the three questions. However, in each answer, it is kind of too short. It is better explain each question in more details. For example, in challenge section, besides the operating challenge for each group member, are there some challenges relative to Revit itself and what are they?

https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b4-project.html

Prahlad Singh:

In Singh’s post, he also covers all the components. It is nice that AI technology that also implement into drone. It is great that engineers can control drone to serve the construction site. It is either to take the entire project picture with high definition or other purposed that related to project. However, in challenge section, beside those challenges, are there any challenges related to economic restriction?

https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/b4-singh-prahlad.html

Mridul Pareek:

In Mridul’s post, he mentions his topic is the SHM using wireless sensors. It is a very interesting topic that involves structures.  It is also part of application in my project, because for robotic automating surveying, we will need to use some wireless sensor to support our projects. In his challenges section, he mentions that it is still low application rate for building industry. Furthermore, what is the possible solution to minimize or get rid of those challenges?

https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/week-4-project-mridul-pareek.html

B4 - Team Project Smmary - Egla Qori

Using Revit's Families to Model Effectively

For our Senior Design Project, my team and I are acting as a structural engineering consultant firm, which will provide a final set of structural plans for the design and construction of a forty-story hotel located in Chicago, IL. After extensive research and factor weighing, the structural frame of the building will be designed in reinforced concrete for the majority of it, with some additional post-tensioning concrete provided for the lobby area and other spaces that are in need of longer spans.
After learning further about Revit and its abilities, Arthur McClosky and I decided to use Revit as a powerful tool to facilitate our drafting/modeling experience. One of the features of Revit we would like to explore further is the ability to create families and use them efficiently to model a large and complicated structure in a timely manner. One of the good things about a hotel structure, is the similarity between around 70% of the floors, whose layout and loading will be typical. We would like to use this opportunity to create families of typical beams, columns, floor slabs, caissons and other structural members, with their corresponding reinforcement. We would have to research a little further on Revit's capabilities of modeling a post-tensioned concrete member correctly, as we plan to use them for certain spaces or the hotel.
We expect this project to be challenging, but beneficial and rewarding. If it wasn't for this class, which specifically exposed us to families and their use, we would have probably modeled each floor separately, in a longer, more repetitive, tedious and time-consuming way.
Personally, I am very excited to learn and become proficient at Revit. Every structural engineering firm I have encountered uses Revit on a daily basis, and coming out of school with an already strong basis in Revit, is something that will definitely give us a jump start at any new job position. I decided to focus on Revit uses and capabilities, because that is a field and skillset I seem to not have mastered yet; therefore I want to use this class and this particular project as a learning experience.

Comments

Kerianne Vogler: I am not very familiar with Revit's capabilities when it comes to Energy Analysis and Life-Cycle evaluation, so I'm actually very excited to see the progression and results of your project. Utilizing Revit to walk the entire project from the design to the construction phase is important for today's designers, architects and engineers. I think this will be a very worthy investment of your time.

Drew Hovey: I could learn a lot from your project. I know there is a lot of literature out there on the difference between green and intelligent buildings, how sustainability comes into play, got to get LEED accredited, etc. However, it would be very convenient to have all this information concisely summarized in a paper and learn more on how these disciplines could be consolidated to create a "green intelligent building" as you call it.

Hayley Selden: That's such an interest aspect of building design to focus on. I didn't know Alexa was a thing until a few months ago, when my friend told his Alexa to turn the lights on and I freaked out. That was all so futuristic and movie-like to me. I think using AI to not just perform tasks around the house, but also analyze, learn and optimize the functionality of systems is very impressive. I'm excited for my future home. I agree with the idea that in order for AI to function properly, it has to have a large database and information to process and understand in order to output meaningful and useful results and functionalities. Best of luck to you; truly excited to see how your project turns out!

B4 - Andy Dinh - Term Project

For this term in AE 410, my term project will be about the comparison between Revit and Bentley Architecture. I will be working with Ronald Park on this project. The purpose of this project is to compare the use of each of the two programs, along with being able to share projects between the two programs. To accomplish this task, we will be creating a two-story residential building with some furniture made as families along with other elements that usually go with a building like floors, a roof, windows, doors, walls, etc. To first start with this assignment, we have to familiarize ourselves with the two programs first. Recognition of what each program is capable of and what files they take for the specific program will be fairly important as to what our project will result in.

As with working with Revit in the past, and even for an assignment already for this class, there is already some familiarity for us with Revit. As for Bentley Architecture, I found that Architecture is an extension of Microstation, to which I have a little familiarity with it after using the program on my first co-op with Taylor, Wiseman, and Taylor. So, getting acquainted with the two programs should not be as difficult compared to if I was a new user with both programs. The problem I do see coming up that we will have to solve is to see how we can have the two programs cooperate each other, especially with file sharing. I have shared files between Microstation and AutoCAD before to do some work, but never with Revit and Microstation, so this will be very new to me and I look forward to what I can learn from this experience. We will be using some youtube tutorial videos to help us with this project. Some tutorial videos have already helped us in seeing how people complete tasks through their expertise and they make things a little more comprehensible rather than reading instructions from a book.

Once we have completed these tasks, our report should include what was done and how our experience was with both programs. I hope to see both programs being of use in their own ways. Our paper and presentation should include all of the experiences compiled together. Either one of the BIM programs can be easier to use than the other, or both can have their own advantages in which we are investigating for.

References:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2A8A1C3167E4A4E6


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfMt5IThYdU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEtQNnChG74

Comments:

Alexander Koo (link) - Virtual reality has certainly been on the fast track in recent years. With its recent rise in the gaming market, to now slowly being integrated into other services, it is exciting to see the development of such technology. I look forward to seeing what can be seen on how the technology is being developed for intelligent buildings. Being able to see 3D models live would be very cool to see.

Kerianne Vogler (link) - Lifecycles of buildings are very important, because not a lot of people who are outside of the business think about what else goes on after the building or structure is complete. They just see a building standing there and probably know some of the simpler things like air conditioning and what is holding the building up. I would like to see how much further BIM can go into getting the details of a building for more use in maintenance of it and hopefully being able to extend the life span of a structure.

Nick Pawlikowski (link) - I have never had experience in creating a database before. I know we are suppose to learn about creating a database during class, but it would be interesting to see how much more depth there is into creating a database. It would be cool to see how the database is integrated with Revit families, especially after our own Revit family assignment.

Alexander Koo - Assignment B4 - A-Team

Virtual Reality in Jobsites

 

Project Description and Why is was chosen:

I will be working on a project, along with my teammates Andrew Ng and Taryn Francischetti, based on the concept of Virtual Reality on construction sites. Virtual has completely revolutionise society and the construction industry and is still in the process of reaching its full potential. VR Technologies, however, are still lagging behind the visions that people have for their use, especially for their use on construction purposes. [1] It is known that VR greatly improved the design and building process. One example is the ability to test a number of factors in order to reduce the number of errors that will be present in the completed building. 

The paper will focus on how Virtual reality technologies can already and will impact jobsites. I chose this project since I truly believe VR technologies will benefit the construction at a greater scale than we think. According to Peeter Nieler (Investing Into Virtual Reality: Making Sense Of It All, CoFounder Magazine, Spring 2016) there are 419 Virtual Reality startups, 149 of which are within the European Union. Nieler points out that the official number is heavily underestimated. [1] This really shows how the market for VR exploded. 

Relation to IB:

I believe Intelligent Building and Virtual Reality are two main themes and affect each other indirectly. Intelligent building involve an integrative approach. Virtual reality allows that approach and also provides the team a platform to more easily and efficiently, input their ideas and concepts into play. For example, through the use of UNITY, a virtual technology, bringing Revit/3D models into a virtual reality space becomes much more efficient. Now, any AEC professional can take their Revit model, bring it into Unity, and create a VR experience. With a bit of programming knowledge, the VR models can also be heavily customized. This powerful, intuitive and flexible tool ensures rapid iteration and fluid workflow, thus allowing engineers and architects to create stunning, interactive walkthroughs and provide clients with a realistic sense of how it would feel like to actually live in the simulated environment. [2]

Challenges:

“Virtual reality on Jobsites” is a broad topic. The paper will need to target specific topics. The use of VR technologies is a relatively new concept which just started to bloom. Therefore, the presence of up-to-date information might be scarce. A lot of research on emerging VR technologies and concept will have to be made.  Even though it is impossible to tell when the use of VR technologies in construction will become the norm, it is obvious that it is only a matter of time before it does. 

References:

[1] https://aec-business.com/virtual-reality-construction/

[2] https://www.viatechnik.com/resources/50-virtual-reality-technologies-in-architecture-engineering-and-construction/

 

Comments:

Nick Pawlikowski – It seems like a very interesting project. The BIM assignment for the class really open my eyes on the concept of families, how they are created and put in use with a model. I am interested in seeing how Microsoft Access will work in order to houses the parameters data. The function to generate families could come in useful for the class afterwards and even your personal projects. I am very curious as to how the project will turn out. Post: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/project-description-why-it-was-chosen.html

Joseph Chaudhari – Robotic Surveying is a huge concept nowadays that is still developing. The use of robot to survey is nowhere near the expectations of the society. However, it is interesting to learn about how the integration of robotics surveying could be sped up. Your topic could relate to mine, “Virtual Reality in Jobsites”, since both our topics are about construction sites and how modern technologies will affect the different processes and overall experience. Your challenges are also similar to mine since both our topics are about relatively new technologies. Post: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/chaudhari-b4-team-project.html

Maria Raggousis – Your topic “Emerging Technologies in the Robotic Assembly and Construction of Buildings” looks very promising. It is true that robotics is already widely used nowadays but very little is known about how the technology behind it and how it is going to evolve throughout the years. It is indeed a very broad subject and your team will need to specify clearly your topics clearly. Your project is similar in some ways to Joseph Chaudhari’s one. I am looking forward to learning more about your project. Post: https://ae-410-510-ay16-17.blogspot.com/2017/02/assignment-b4-group-b-maria-raggousis.html

Assignment B4 - Group B - Maria Raggousis

Describe your project 

- 

Why it was chosen, relation to Intelligent Buildings, & Challenges

The project that I will be working on is with my group partner, Rachel Frank, and we will be writing a paper. The title of this paper is: Emerging Technologies in the Robotic Assembly and Construction of Buildings. 

I think what we really want to focus on is three-fold, firstly, what technologies have been used in recent history that are robotics-oriented (~1980's to Present), secondly, what are the types of projects that people are working on currently and implementing, and finally, what is the feasible direction that these robotic technologies will go in our immediate future of 5-10 years. Through these items, we wish to discover the groups that are developing these systems, what they are used for, and how they work. In addition, we will make a distinction between robotics in the actual construction of structural components and robotics inside the home for interior design purposes (easy layout and configurations like movable walls). 

Why it was chosen:

This topic was chosen because we had a hard time believing it had potential. Once we were exposed to it through this class, it got us wondering if this was actually something that could be used widespread. Doing more research on the blog posts, I found something that mentioned how we could use robots to "mass-assemble" small shelters that may be temporary for emergency situations and I really appreciated that. We want to look deeper on things that are relevant and almost coming out in today's world - not things in the far future. The reason for this is because we want to see what the change will be in our immediate careers because the far future feels like empty dreaming. 

Relation to Intelligent Buildings:

The relation to intelligent buildings is more clear with the interior components - when there are robotics integrated inside the building, things like partition walls can be customized and the building becomes intelligent - if there is an interface where you can choose your room purpose. Maybe there is robotics that can say, I want to have X people over in this room and it sets the chairs and tables and walls for you! In terms of the actual robotic construction, an intelligent building is wholesome and if there are robots that can build these buildings by themselves, I would consider that intelligent. The less human input in the process, the more intelligent the building gets. 

Challenges:

I think the biggest challenge with our research paper will be to clearly define what the topic is based on the information that we find. I am not even sure what is out there so based on the peer-reviewed sources we find, the paper will take shape. I also think a challenge will be to write concisely, not get off-topic, and stay reasonably near the word count - I do not want to provide Professor Mitchell with something that is way too long! I think there is a discrepancy between what technology we think is out there and what is actually in practice and exists. 

Comments on other Posts:


Brandon Mengel: I did not even realize that we could attempt to create a Revit family as a project. Reading your plan of action and potential challenges, I think I am actually happier that I chose to go with the paper. We have been using Revit so much in all our classes lately that I don't think I could handle doing another project because exactly the way you said it - it can suck up all your time without you even noticing. I think that your skills are much more honed than mine and I hope that YouTube can help you when working with the different materials. I am not sure but I think that you would have to have a counter-top family and a cabinet family and a lighting family and then finally there be a family that places the components together. I wish you the best of luck and I really think you can complete this project successfully - just don't get too bogged down on all the intricate details! 


Joseph Chaudhari: Your topic is super super cool to me! I was exposed to a lot of site surveying technology from companies during co-op and I thought the way the 3D point clouds were made and all the scanning involved for the terrain was amazing. The technology in my head is so far advanced but that just goes to show how much further it can go. Definitely on the leading edge of what technology we use in the "building" world. If this technology comes in to fruition in our lifetimes - which I suspect of all the technologies, this one will - the efficiency and accuracy in which buildings can be modeled will increase. Although the AI may decrease overall jobs - I think it will just make a shift towards what kind of jobs there will be. 



Maissoun Ksara & Drew Hovey: I have a feeling your paper will be both fun to write and informational. You will learn many things in the process of the research but I also think that there is a hint of opinion in there that will make this a great paper in the end. I agree with your general statement that intelligent buildings does not suggest green buildings. But, I think they could be subsets of each other - intelligent buildings can lend themselves to be green - for example monitoring the sun, controlling shades or insulation or window tint to reduce HVAC loads - but things like using recycled materials to make a building sustainable does not necessarily mean it has become intelligent. Interesting items to discuss... discussing the future of these two items and how they relate will be a challenge. I hope the future is extraordinary, intelligent, & green!